Reproductive success is essential for all organisms and to the evolutionary viability of all species. Reproductive suppression (e.g. retardation of gonadal function, delay of puberty), however, is common among animals with low social status or animals exposed to tonic stressors. Integrative studies examining the control of reproduction at both the behavioral and neuroendocrine levels are critical for understanding the intricacies of reproductive inhibition. The experiments described herein aim first to evaluate the relationships between social status, social instability, and stress axis activation (e.g. stimulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone and its downstream effects such as elevated cortisol synthesis). Furthermore, the proposed experiments target social status and stress as potentially integral factors involve in reproductive inhibition. The final set of experiments utilizes pharmacological manipulations to assess whether the peripheral stress circuit (e.g. cortisol) is important in the control of reproductive behavior and/or function. The results obtained will provide a foundation for developing an integrative, comparative model for reproductive suppression that can be applied across taxa.